While Malta – and most of Europe – is recovering from the ravages of the coronavirus pandemic and getting ready to cautiously enjoy summer, other countries are still battling new variants, second and third waves, and dire health conditions.
The situation in India can best be described as a catastrophe. The situation in the sub-continent plunged to depressing lows in recent months, with India reporting its highest number of cases – over four million – in the first week of May.
Since then, the WHO situation report shows there has been a decline of 69 per cent in daily cases in the last 25 days. In all, 30 states have shown a decrease in cases, with Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana reporting the biggest drops. Various measures are also in place. In Punjab, for instance, authorities are issuing oxygen cylinders to patients who require assistance after being discharged from hospital. In Kerala, children orphaned during COVID-19 will be taken into care and the state will support them in their education and financially.
Yet close to 350,000 people in India have died, to date, from the coronavirus pandemic. And the public health situation is still struggling with insufficient hospital beds, low stocks of medicine and oxygen, and a low supply of COVID-19 vaccines.
To make matters worse, in a country of 1.4 billion, healthcare has, for years, not been given its due importance. Just consider that in 2018, India spent 1.28 per cent of its GDP on healthcare – in comparison, in the US, it was 17 per cent. Also, statistics show that in India, there is one doctor per 1,456 people, with this scarcity particularly bad in rural areas.
All these elements are contributing to India’s pains in containing and battling the coronavirus pandemic.
Various countries and organisations around the world are reaching out to help India in its struggles. Companies are also donating funds, including some based in Malta.
In fact, Malta-based betting company Meridianbet has recently donated $2,000 to UNICEF to help India fight the coronavirus pandemic. It is such generous acts of solidarity that help the world advance in its road to recovery.
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